Thursday, February 28, 2008

My mom is the BEST! She came over today..and helped me (ok...she did it..i just helped keep the edges down) hang up the border and the pictures in my Mary Engelbreit themed bathroom!!! If you want to see what it looked like before we did these extra things go HERE. I just absolutely LOVE how it all turned out.

Before I even started making it a M.E. bathroom...it was all a purplish color and the wallpaper was all peeling...and just totally not my style at all. Now it is totally 100% my style and perfect!!! I am soo excited! I have to get some knobs and touch up some paint the kids have..um..disturbed..LOL..but I am just thrilled at my bathroom now!

AND....to top it all off...I am having a Home and Garden Party tonight at my house. A bunch of my friends are coming over and it will be so much fun...and my mom came over special today to help me get it done before everyone shows up. Isn't she soo thoughtful?

Thanks so much for all the comments on the Egg Casserole post. I hope you all enjoy it! Let me know if/when you try it and how it turned out for you!

Kathleen..and anyone else who is having trouble with my left sidebar....it is probably your computer settings....also if you are using Internet Explorer..that could be it too. I use firefox! I am so sorry it looks funny to you!

I wanted to share a wonderful recipe that I have. Some of you may have already made it before...it is sooo good. It is Breakfast Casserole (I usually call it egg casserole though). I have made it for breakfasts as well as suppers. I made it for supper the other day and forgot to take a pic to show you...but it really is delicious and I thought I definitely NEED to share this with everyone!

Brown meat, drain fat and chop up. Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour into greased 9x9 pan or baking dish. Refridgerate overnight (or if you are making it for supper...you can make it in the morning and let it refridgerate during the day).The next morning: cook for 45 minutes @ 350*.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Do you ever feel like the cleaning is never done? Of course, I don't mind cleaning. I am a SAHM and totally feel that is one of my duties as a wife and homemaker. And I am definitely OK with that. Although...I must admit...sometimes I feel overwhelmed by it. Does anyone else feel that way? I feel like no matter how hard I try to keep things perfect...there always ends up being something that I forgot to dust or something that needs organized. I have a bit of a perfectionist living in my body, I think. I have a hard time feeling like things are never done well enough.

My husband has NEVER made me feel that I don't do well enough. He is so sweet and wonderful. He says how I do a great job and such. He is definitely my encourager! I am so glad and thankful that God put us together! So...this is an issue in myself. A nagging little thing in me telling me I am not doing well enough. It is quite frustrating!

I struggle with the thoughts of "should a home be spotless or lived in?". It's like, since I know I am at home during the day....I take my role seriously and think I need to do the best I can at it. I definitely keep my house clean....but deep inside I know of things I could have done better or that basket of laundry should already be folded and put away...It can be quite overwhelming!

So, I am just curious if anyone else feels like this or if you don't....how do you find peace about it? I always feel like if the house hasn't been basically spring cleaned daily...that it isn't clean enough. I drive myself nuts about it. I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this and such!!! I really appreciate it!!! Thank you!!!

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

This is the beginning of 3 chapters where man is warned of the evil and seductive adultress. I take this as a warning to women as well....in 2 respects:

1. To never be the seductive adultress. ~Dress modestly and appropriately ~Do not be flirtacious with other men ~live a pure lifestyle

2. To never be drawn away from my husband by the "male" adultress. ~Do not allow other men speak dishonorable to me or inapporiately flattering ~Avoid men who live a life unpleasing to God ~Enjoy a loving and close life intimately with my husband

We are to enjoy our own marriages. Satisfy and be satisfied within our love and promises to each other.

Verse 15 says "Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well."

Is this talking about water...no. LOL This is talking about staying faithful and not straying! :)

Verses 17-18 say "Let them be only your own, And not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife (or husband) of your youth."

I would love to hear any thoughts on this or what you got from this chapter of Proverbs! I hope you all have a fabulous Tuesday!!! Stay warm!!! xoxo

Monday, February 25, 2008

A friend of mine requested to see pics of my kitchen.....so....here they are. I seriously hate my kitchen and can't wait to redo it...but I decorate and do the best with what I have! The lower half of the fridge is the kids domain...so..their magnets etc are all scattered about LOL

On the corner cupboard in this above pic...is my planner and my family companion binder! :) I LOVE my planner especially....totally keeps me organized!!! :) So anyway...there you have it..my kitchen! LOL(BTW~ that room behind my dining room is actually the playroom...thus the toys on the floor you can see...*blush*)

Saturday, February 23, 2008

My mom, sister, my boys and I all went 2 hrs away to meet at a restaurant with other family for a surprise 50th bday party for my one Aunt. It was a fun time! She was totally surprised!!! Here a just a few pics from today....LOL (M stayed home and went to a princess bday party for her friend today!)My cousin and Me....not the best pic of me...LOL..but me, nonetheless!! I can't wait till my hair gets long again....i am not really fond of it being short....but oh well!

My baby, J. I love when he scrunches his nose up like that!

My other cousin and Me....being silly. I can touch my nose to my tongue too...i didn't know she was doing that...otherwise, i would have too!!!! ROFL!!!

OK..so there you have it. Some smiles and a lil bit of silliness! I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! xoxo

Monday, February 18, 2008

Have you ever had a tug on your heart...that just won't stop tugging? A simple longing and yearning to do something that doesn't really seem possible? I do. It has been eating at me for months and months now.

Did you all know there are over 143 MILLION orphans in the world?? They have no one. It makes me incredibly sad. So sad...that I have looked into adoption. I have looked ALOT into it. But gosh....everything is so expensive. It breaks my heart. I have always wanted a large family...but Chris didn't think we could afford it...and so he took care of it...if you catch my drift. I supported him on it..but still long for more children. Of course, i am blessed and thrilled with the children I have now...it isn't that i am discontent....more that my heart literally aches sooo much that there are children in the world who don't have a family. I can't even imagine. I would love to adopt a child...maybe 3-6 or 7 years old...any race...just to give him or her a life, shelter, food, clothing and most of all love and a deep rooted faith in Jesus. Sometimes I feel so frustrated that the price is sooo high to adopt. These children need homes!!!

I just don't understand why I suffer with this tug on my heart...but the adoption is something virtually unobtainable for me....know what I mean? I know all things are possible with God....it isn't that I doubt Him...I just don't know at all. Another thing that nags at me is the scripture that says we are to care for the orphans and widows. Why do agencies make it sooo hard to do that?? Anyway....this is a plea from me...for anyone who can afford adoption and would take a sweet child into their home...especially kids that are toddlers or older (they get adopted less).....I ask for you to pray about adoption. I cry out on behalf of those children who need you. I pray someday I can adopt too.

For Christmas, my Aunt Ginny gave us a really neat Cinderella Waffle Maker. It makes the best thick yummy waffles....made from scratch, of course! (I used the recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook) So...here are some pics of everyone in their PJs....getting ready to eat some Cinderella Waffles!!! (M made that visor on her head...she loves it...hehe. J was moody and wouldn't look at the camera in this pic.)

X impatiently waiting for his food (he doesn't like the idea that things take TIME to cook! LOL...

J finally deciding to give a smile for the camera....woot!

And lastly....a better pic of my new valance I had posted about HERE. Still not an awesome pic though...I don't know what I am doing wrong with my camera?? But better, nonetheless!

Today is a day of cleaning for me. M doesn't have school because it is an ACT 80 teacher day. So...we will be cleaning and playing and trying to all get along! LOL

OH...I am on the 3rd book of the Abram's Daughters Series by Beverly Lewis, The Betrayal....I am almost finished with it. Oh my goodness...I really love these books...they totally just pull me in! I don't want to spoil it for anyone...so I will just say that you need to read this series....twists and turns all through it. Wonderful books! :) I hope you all have a truly wonderful day! xoxo

Sunday, February 17, 2008

So last night was my brother in laws birthday and he took my hubby, Chris, to a college bball game a couple hours away for fun. (Some others went with them too). My mother in law had taken the two older kids to the family camp over night (the kids LOVE that!)....so it was just me and J here last night. Well, my uncle owns a christian teen center downtown and my sister and her bf Cory volunteer there....so J and I went down there to hang out with them and we got dinner etc. They have an old school pinball machine in there that J just LOVES!!! Watching him play is sooo cute! I didn't have my camera...but my sister had her cell phone...so she took a couple pics for me and then emailed them to me!!! Thanks Devon!

I hope you all have a fantastic Sunday with your families! Remember, it is the Lord's Day! Blessings! xoxo

Saturday, February 16, 2008

My mom is sooo thoughtful! She found this valance while shopping yesterday and got it for me! It is TOTALLY my style and I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it! :) Sorry the pictures are so dark. I did edit them to try and make them lighter....but this was the best I can do. Also..I tried EVERY setting on my camera..and couldn't get the flash to work...?? I guess because it is daytime? I don't know...LOL. I will try and get a better pic sometime....but at least you can see these for right now! (please excuse my ugly garage out the windows...LOL...in the summer it really IS pretty to look out those windows cuz i have flowers planted etc...I promise!)

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

This is the view outside my front door. A 100% winter wonderland..notice Ruthie's pawprints in the snow? (Ruthie is our dog) It's quite chilly and M had off of school today (which has equaled lots of fighting among the siblings...ugh). So...for a treat, I made some Reese's Cup Cookies:

Then...with camera in hand...I decided to snap a few extra pics for fun! This first is of a star mirror hanging in my dining room. I have taken pics of it before...but I truly love it and wanted to snap another pic today LOL!

And then I took a pic of each one of my munchkins.....first, here is J (yes..that is egg from breakfast in the corner of his mouth...LOL):

And here is my son X....mischevious little stinker..hehe:

And my sweet M. Growing way too fast for my liking:

I have some more cleaning to do today and laundry as well....also plan on doing some reading. When we are snowed in...I just love to sit and feel cozy in my quilt made by Niki and read! (Notice my quilt behind M's head? Isn't it soo pretty?)

Also...I wanted to share with you my ultimate dream house. It is gorgeous....just stunning. HERE is a short photo tour of it...it is absolutely GORGEOUS! I love the colonial style! Just wanted to share! I hope you are all having a great day and if you haven't already check out my previous post on the new GLOW ministry news!!!!! :)

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Can you see the snowflakes flying in the pic? It doesn't look too bad in the pics..but it really is snowing constantly. Below is another view of my back yard on the side! (I love our back yard...nice and big!)And this is out my side window of my bedroom.....you can't tell with the snow..but if you look to the left of this pic below...in the back left corner where the trees are cleared...under all that snow is a basketball/tennis court. Our neighbors had it built a long time ago and let us use it anytime we want...isn't that sooo sweet? They are such kind and thoughtful people. I feel like i have a park right outside my back door!!! :)

And below is just a fun pic i took out a window in my bedroom showing our backyard as well. Doesn't it just make you cold looking out there? You would think being inside that i am all warm and cozy...but no no...tis not the case! LOL Our bedroom (and the room below) is an addition onto our house that we built. Chris hasn't run the heating vents over yet...so it is quite chilly in here! LOL I am soo thankful for the flannel sheets my cousin and his wife gave us for Christmas a few years back...they are the BEST! Although, we only have one thing of flannel sheets...so on "change the sheets day" ...which is every other Monday at my house.....I put on different sheets...regular sheets...sheets that feel like ice when you lay on them for the first time in the night! LOL

M had the day off from school today....the roads are horrible. I am not going ANYWHERE! LOL She may have the day off tomorrow as well. It is suppose to do some freezing rain later. fun fun....eh? LOL My Proverbs post is right below this one for anyone who is interested in reading it and sharing with me. It is on Chapter 4! :)

OH...and tomorrow...I have some exciting news to share with you all about the GLOW from your home ministry as well! I will leave you in suspense until then!!! xoxo

Proverbs 4:7 "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom And in all your getting, get understanding."

This is yet another verse in proverbs stating the need and emphasizing the importance of having wisdom and understanding.

Prov. 4:13 "Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life."

Listening to and heeding wise instruction will lead you on the right path.

Prov. 4:18 "But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day."

We have security in wisdom~knowing it will keep us safe and on the path of rightenousness. I love this verse. When we walk with our Lord, our path is beautifully lit up for us...isn't that such a lovely thought?

If you read through verses 20-27...they encourage us to heed instruction and keep it in our heart. We must, then, guard our heart, keep our head up and eyes open and stay on the path of the just! :)

These are the notes I took about chapter 4 in Proverbs. Any thoughts you have on this chapter or what I wrote would be wonderful!!! Have a wonderful day!

Monday, February 11, 2008

It is soooo cold that the kids are on a 2 hour delay from school!!! My mother in law's thermometer read -1 this morning she said when she called to chat. HOLY COW!!! Ok, I know in some places it is even colder than that...but still....brrrrrrr!!Above is a picture of part of our backyard. (Aren't the woods so pretty? I love them!) And below is a picture out the side window of my bedroom. That is the top of our garage there. (We have a HUGE garage!) Hehe, if you look in that pic..you can see the reflection of my camera in the window. LOL

Last night was our Valentine's Supper at church! It was a lot of fun! I was going to take my camera, but didn't. I wish I would have though. The meal was free and it was semi formal dress. They had it decorated so pretty! We had a wonderful evening!!! I hope you all had a fantastic Sunday as well!

I plan to post the next chapter of the Proverbs study I am doing, later on today. First I have housework to do (today is "change the bed sheets" day for me...every other monday) and then I need to get M off to school and then I hope to be able to post my study! Hope you all have a wonderful day!!!! :)

Saturday, February 9, 2008

My daughter, M, is in Kgarten. I thought instead of buying little valentine's for her to take to class this year....why not make them? So I used Mary Engelbreit sayings and pictures and made these cute little valentines. I think they turned out OK! I thought about dressing them up with glitter etc...and then decided against it. Glitter can end up being a mess....especially for kindergartners! LOL I left the TO and FROM blank so M can fill in the names of her classmates as well as sign hers!Luckily, M's class is small with only 14 or 15 students or so. So, making them wasn't difficult!

The picture above is the valentine for her teacher. M has the best teacher! She is so sweet and a christian lady! I am so glad M has her for a teacher! :)

Well, I am still not feeling totally up to par after being sick earlier this week...my stomach isn't 100%....but oh well. Life goes on! I hope you are all having a great weekend! :) Thanks so much for your kind comments on my previous posts. I love each one of them! :)

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Verses 1 and 2 in the third chapter of Proverbs tell us that keeping God's commandments will give you longevity and peace. Wisdom gives your soul peace plus a lack of anxiety about situations helps your physical health as well!

Prov. 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."

Sometimes giving up control is hard for us to do (at least, i know it is for me). But when we give God total control over our lives He will direct us in His wisdom. He will point us in the way we should go and we need to follow. He knows what is best for us...so it only makes sense for us to desire to follow His guidance and direction for our lives...even if it isn't exactly what we had planned.

In verses 9 and 10 it tells us that we are to honor God with our tithe and offerings for we know that when we trust Him ~ He will always provide. I am a very firm believer in tithing. We take our tithe out of each paycheck before we pay anything else. If you want more information on learning to deal with money God's way...i encourage you to go to Dave Ramsey's website. His classes and ideas are AWESOME!

We are to delight when the Lord corrects us...for God corrects those He loves. We learn from our mistakes which in turn, lets us grow in knowledge and understanding.

"She" in verses 13-18 is in place of the word "wisdom". These verses talk about how wisdom brings about invaluable happiness. When we are walking in wisdom, it helps us make right choices and that helps us secure happiness in our lives! I think this is how people can live in joy! Wisdom brings about confidence and pushes out fear and terror. You have safety in the Lord! :)

Verses 27-35 give us 5 principles on how we should treat others. Each principle starts with the words "Do not".

**We need to remember we are not to envy or imitate the wicked for: "The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools" Prov. 3:35

Those are the notes I took on the third chapter of Proverbs! If you have anything you want to share or add..please feel free to comment me! :) Also, dear friends...please read the previous post to hear of my sincerest thanks for each one of you! :) Have a wonderful Thursday! :)

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Well....I finally caught it...that dreadful flu bug. Now I am just praying no one else in my family gets it. I felt queasy all afternoon on Monday and then I was sick all Monday night. Yesterday, M went to school and Chris's mom watched X and my mom and then my sister watched J. My sister has some pics about it HERE. So, I was able to rest all day...but let me tell ya...i felt like such a slug. I am totally ready to get back into the swing of things today.

I have been trying to catch up on some of the blogs I read daily. I also plan on posting that Crusty Italian Bread recipe from my friend mom211911 as well. My house is in dire need of cleaning and straightening up. I still feel kinda queasy...so I am going to do things as I can today and just take it one step at a time.

I know I missed my blog friend, Cindy's birthday yesterday....so I want to wish her a HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! I hope you had a great day Cindy! :) Also...if any of you were bidding on or have checked out my ebay listings HERE, they are ending very soon! :)

I hope you all have a wonderful day! And if you can, please lift up a prayer for my family that no one else gets sick. Such a miserable thing to have~the flu. Ya know? Thanks so much!!! Happy Wednesday!

Monday, February 4, 2008

So, as some of you know, I was reading the Heritage of Lancaster County series of books by Beverly Lewis. I finished that series of three books. It was a great series! I really enjoyed it! If you have never read them....I really encourage it. They are not hard to read. Sweet and easy and simple....very enjoyable! :)

Now, I am reading The Covenant, by Beverly Lewis. It is the first book in a series of 5 called Abram's Daughters. So far so good! I am really enjoying it! :) Beverly Lewis has a great way of writing that makes you feel like you are really there...seeing the beautiful sights and smelling the air. I really enjoy it! Has anyone else read this series? What did you think of it?

I won some books in some bloggy giveaways that I mentioned HERE. As well as a couple other books from THIS giveaway! I am so excited! I am really looking forward to reading them as well!!! Reading is such a fun way to travel all over the world and learn many things without ever having to leave your house! I love it! I would also love to hear any more suggestions you all have about some books or authors you enjoy reading!!! Thanks so much!!! :)

God grants wisdom as a gift to those who truly seek it and He bestows understanding and knowledge. He will shield us and guard us from evil when we walk with Him. This isn't to say that we won't go through trials in our lives....but He will always take care of us and having knowledge better guards us from things that could be our downfall if we walked in ignorance.

Discretion and understanding are evidence of a wise woman! These things will protect and guide her from the wicked ones who do evil things. Wisdom keeps us away from evil and it helps us to stay blameless in God's sight for we walk in truth and light and knowledge.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation for wisdom, obedience and love. We must be selfless and turn to God's way. The promised results of fearing Him are:

Prov. 2:20 "Walk in the way of goodness and keep to the paths of righteousness"

This is not always an easy thing to do at times...but when you feel frustrated or tempted or lost....turn to Him and He will direct you on the way you should be going! Don't lose hope!

Please share with me your thoughts on Chapter 2 of Proverbs! I would enjoy hearing them! Also....if you are just joining the study and would like to read my study of Proverbs Chapter 1...go HERE! Hope you all have a wonderful day and I will be sure to share that bread recipe I mentioned in THIS post soon!

Sunday, February 3, 2008

YUM!!! That is the best word to describe what I thought when I started eating this meal! It was so good and really hit the spot! :) I made the homemade crusty italian bread yesterday and although i didn't let it rise quite high enough...it still tasted super good! I got the recipe from my friend mom211911. She doesn't have a blog yet....but hopefully she will start one soon! The bread was delicious! I won't post the recipe without her permission first though....and if she decides to start a blog...I will make sure to add a link for you all to check it out! :)

Then...the potato soup recipe I got from HERE on Lea's blog, Farmhouse Blessings! It was sooo good too...although, I forgot to add the cheddar cheese to the top like she does...that would have made it even better! But if you like potatoes....check out that recipe...it is good. Plus...it is a very frugal recipe. Does not take a lot of ingredients! That saves money and it feeds the whole family!

We fed our family of 5 with it and also invited our friends, Chris and Heather over for supper. They seemed to enjoy it as well! Then we had a wonderful evening together talking and laughing! Tonight, although none of us are really rooting for any particular team in the super bowl, we are having a lil party. OK..not a party...but chris and heather and my sister and her boyfriend are all coming over to eat and hang out! Just another excuse for us all to get together!!! WOOT! I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday evening! :)

Saturday, February 2, 2008

I entered a giveaway at Hind's Feet to win this Moms Helps pack of stuff. And LOOK! I won! I am so excited! It's so fun to win stuff! The only other giveaway I have won before this was when I won THIS from Erin's blog! It is such a beautiful necklace and I wear it all the time! I always get tons of compliments!!!

THEN....my blog friend Niki, for no reason except just to be sweet, made me a QUILT!!!! I am not kidding you! She has a picture of it HERE! It is beautiful!I use it to cover up when reading!

AND~alot of my super cute graphics on my blog come from Mandie...have you checked our her blog? She gives away FREE graphics! She makes the cutest things! I love it! She even made our GLOW button on the side bar! :) I encourage you to check out her site for some great graphics!

I feel truly blessed by the friends I have met! Not that it is about material things at all. I value EVERYONE I have met! You are all so sweet and thoughtful in your words and deeds. The comments on my posts just put a smile on my face when I read them. I hope this post didn't seem like bragging..cuz that is not my intention at all. I wanted to share the ways I was blessed (containing my excitement is too difficult LOL) and I also wanted to share the links of some of my friends! Also....if you haven't checked out my list of blog favorites...you should! Each one of them is such a GREAT person and has a wonderful blog that i truly enjoy!

Also....I have started a study on Proverbs. If you would like to follow along with me...you can start HERE. I definitely don't have all the answers and am still seeking wisdom from up above...that is what the book of Proverbs is all about! So I would love to hear thoughts you have on each chapter!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!!! xoxo

EDITED TO ADD: I almost forgot to mention the book I won from Heidi as well!!! So sorry Heidi!!! She does a lot of book reviews on her blog!!! It is soo cute!!! Check it out! :) I also won a book from Amy....she let me know on a comment on this post....her comment is the first one on here!!! :) gosh....i am sooo appreciative!!! xoxo

Friday, February 1, 2008

Aren't the proverbs GREAT?? I love them! They get right to the point and tell you how to live. I decided to start reading the book of Proverbs and taking notes and really understanding it. I have a women's study bible and it wrote that it was a guide to successful living...and I realized how really true that is!

Proverbs 1:7 ~ "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

I used to think "fear" meant to be afraid of God and his wrath. It gave me a scared sense of who he was. It always confused me when I would read we were to fear the Lord. He wants us to be scared of him?? Nooo.... :) The word fear is best understood as a "submissive spirit of obedience". Fearing the Lord is essential and the start to our becoming of women of wisdom.

Wisdom is a term used a lot in Proverbs. There is even a chapter (that I plan on blogging about) that "Wisdom" is speaking.

A great quote from the side notes of my bible says: "Be wise and avoid being enticed by sinners. The path of evil, though appearing attractive, ultimately leads to destruction."

We should constantly and consistently be seeking knowledge and wisdom. This will help our journey in Christ. We should fear (submissively obedient) God and listen to and apply the counsel of the wise. Don't let pride or arrogance get in the way of wisdom. Whoever listens to wisdom will live safely and securely without fear of evil.

**Thanks so much for all the sweet comments I have been recieving on my posts. I feel truly blessed for the women I have met online and become friends with. I hope you all have a fantastic day! :)

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He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.~Isaiah 40:11

"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest. "~ Thomas Moore

"Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality."~ Beatrix Potter

"The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career. "~ C.S. Lewis"The secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life, and in elevating them to art."~William Morris

"I have no faith in that woman who talks of grace and glory abroad, and uses no soap and water at home. Let the buttons be on the shirts, let the children's socks be mended, let the roast mutton be done to a turn, let the house be as neat as a new pin, and the home be as happy as home can be."